Fingerprint technology is a part of biometric technology that is made to recognize special characteristics of an individual. Basically it involves an individual’s fingerprint, where those minute raised ridges on our volar pads are called ‘friction ridge skin’ is special from one person to another. For this reason fingerprints are able to be used as a form of personal identification as it is reliable and accurate. No one would have to remember passwords, PIN numbers or even carry keys or cards, which could avoid many kinds of unwanted problems.
The uniqueness or speciality of these finger prints can be categorized into Global Ridge Pattern and the Local Ridge Patterns.
For the Global Ridge Patterns, there are four classifications of fingerprints:
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While for the Local Ridge Pattern ( also known as minutiae or points of identification ) are unique to every individual’s fingerprint. There are three patterns:
History of Fingerprint Technology
Sir William Herschel, who was a British officer based in India, can be credited as the first person to practically use fingerprints as a form of identification. He used the fingerprints and handprints of the natives in place of a signature to sign contracts to prevent any fraudulent conducts. Around the same time, Dr. Henry Faulds who was a Scottish physician working in Japan, published a letter in the journal Nature, 1880 about his observations on the potential of fingerprints to be used as a means of identification. Faulds was the one that pioneered the research in fingerprinting that was done in a broad scope. He explained how fingerprints can be used to capture criminals and even describe a method of taking down fingerprints using black ink. This theory of his was put to used and managed to be proven, when he was...